A pair of psychologists have spoken up to defend violent video games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, claiming that they can have a positive social impact.

In a new book, titled 'Moral Combat', psychology experts Dr Patrick Markey and Dr Christopher Ferguson claim that 'the war on violent video games is wrong.'

They suggest that countries where video games are popular are some of the safest in the world.

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In a new book, titled 'Moral Combat', psychology experts Dr Patrick Markey and Dr Christopher Ferguson claim that 'the war on violent video games is wrong'. They find that the 20 countries where video games are most popular (pictured) are some of the safest in the world

WHY GTA IS SO CONTROVERSIAL

One of the most successful game franchises of all time, Grand Theft Auto has also been one of the most controversial.

Players adopt the character of a big-city criminal, navigating a fictional landscape and making progress by stealing cars and other vehicles while evading the police.

First released in 1997, it has since had at least ten incarnations, the most recent being Grand Theft Auto V.

The game has attracted controversy for its violence and sexist attitudes, and has often benefited from the huge publicity this generates.

The pair write that video games 'actually have a positive social impact for today’s youth and offer a comprehensive overview of their history, culture, and scientific research.'

They say that the British general public has been 'misled' into believing that video games are responsible for horrific acts of violence by 'picture media, politicians, and other personalities.'

In their book, the pair say that most well-adjusted children and teenagers regularly play violent video games, while never exhibiting violent behaviour in real life.

They claim that spikes in sales of violent games actually correspond with decreased rates of violent crime.

As evidence for their point, the psychologists compared video game sales across different nations.

The pair write in their book: 'When we look at these countries, we find that, contrary to the fear that video games make society more dangerous, the opposite tends to be true.

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Top 20 global 'Intentional homicide' rates per 100,000 citizens. Intentional homicide is defined as unlawful death purposefully inflicted on a person by another person. None of the countries in the global top 20 for video game sales feature in the intentional homicide list

'The countries that consume the most video games are among the safest nations in the world.

'In fact, the three countries with the fewest global game sales had a nearly 200 per cent higher average violent crime rate than the three countries that sold the most games.'

Statistics suggest that the Japan and North Korea are the world's biggest spenders on video games per 100,000 people.

Screenshot of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 5, first released in 2014. One of the most successful game franchises of all time, Grand Theft Auto has also been one of the most controversial. GTA 5 drew criticism for its graphic first-person depictions of sex acts with prostitutes

The two countries spend almost £14million ($17million) per 100,000 citizens between them every year.

The United States is third in the list, with an average yearly spend of £4.9million ($6million) per 100,000 people.

Fourth place is taken by the United Kingdom, with £4.1million ($5million) spent per 100,000 people.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (screenshot pictured) depicted a first-person account of a kidnapping and execution, as well as a nuclear bomb attack. But two psychologists claim that video games can have a positive social impact

Dr Markey writes: 'Before you change your mind and decide to vacation in a "safer" locale, you might want to consult the twenty countries with the world's highest rates of video game sales.

'Most of these countries are fairly safe places to visit.

'The State Department hasn't issued advisories against travel to Tokyo or London, where the streets are teeming with gamers.

The data presented by the psychologists is not conclusive. Nations' video game habits rely on economic and political factors that are difficult to link directly to average crime statistics. This image is a still from Grand Theft Auto 5

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 stirred controversy in 2007 when it put players in the shoes of a terrorist massacring unarmed civilians in a Russian airport (pictured). Players were given the option to skip the level if they wished

'According to Washington-based IntelCenter, the countries you might want to avoid are Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Yemen, as these are among the most violent in the world.

'No one would ever suggest that the violence in these countries is due to Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty because we recognise that it can be traced back to political instability, religious and militant extremism, ongoing civil wars, famine, and corrupt governments.'

The data presented by the psychologists, taken from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is not conclusive.

Nations' video game habits rely on economic and political factors that are difficult to link directly to average crime statistics.